Special Education Programs and Services
York Region District School Board has a strong tradition of fostering an inclusive, innovative and engagement-oriented community. York Region District School Board also recognizes the importance of setting high expectations and closing the gap for students with special education needs.
To achieve the Board of Trustees’ Multi-Year Strategic Plan priorities, the District Action Plan sets out goals that align with the strategic plan and the Board’s Mission, Vision and Values. In alignment with the concepts in the Ministry of Education’s Learning for All, the District Action Plan goals focus on the new priorities, which focus on student achievement, health and well-being and human rights and inclusive education.
At York Region District School Board, Student Services is responsible for collaborating with all departments and stakeholders to ensure successful facilitation and implementation of:
- a continuum of service delivery models responsive to pupil strengths and needs;
- skilled resource staff who work in an interdisciplinary approach that supports the development of quality programs for exceptional pupils;
- a tiered approach to prevention and intervention;
- high-quality evidence-based assessment and personalized instruction;
- intentional planning, instruction and differentiation; and,
- inclusive and collaborative environments where all staff, students, parents and community members are engaged as partners.
2023-2024 School Year
In the 2023-2024 school year, Student Services focused on building capacity and creating a collective responsibility through:
- Policy Updates
- Programs and Resource Development
- Professional Learning Opportunities, Support & Training
- Collaborative Partnerships
Policy Updates
During the 2023-24 school year and in alignment with Board Policy 285.0 the following Policies and Procedures were reviewed and updated:
Programs and Resources Development
The Student Services Department develops a variety of programs to support student achievement and well-being. Some of the programs offered during the 2023-2024 school year included:
- After School Skills Development Program (virtual) for 175 students with Autism (ASD) with a focus on personalized social skill goal setting and skill building in collaboration with families and students.
- PEERS (virtual) programs for 56 youth with Autism. This program included social skills training with a focus on student interest and preference to encourage lasting connections and to support the navigation of social situations.
- ‘Hear, Say, Play!’ - an evidence based virtual program for 341 children entering SK and Grade 1 in July. Speech-language pathologists partnered with kindergarten educators to support the development of phonological awareness skills in fun, engaging and interactive ways.
- Special Equipment Allocation (SEA) and Robotics Pilot Program continued to explore the use of robotics to access the Ontario Curriculum and/or alternative expectations as part of Special Education programming.
- Youth S.P.A.C.E. (Students Promoting Awareness Connection and Empowerment) Student Advisory from Grades 9-12. During this pilot, a total of 58 elementary and secondary schools participated in collaboration with York Region Public Health. The purpose of Youth S.P.A.C.E. is to co-create a network of care, centering on the voice and leadership of YRDSB students to help shape mental health supports and initiatives within York Region District School Board and the broader community.
- Release of the Revised 2024 - Understanding How Processing Affects Learning A Guide to Supporting All Students, Particularly Students with Learning Disabilities. This resource is designed to help educators better support all students in partnership with families and professionals. It shares information about the processing areas that impact learning and supports the planning of classroom instruction and assessment guided by students’ strengths and needs.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Special Education Training
Each year, the Student Services Team delivers professional development to all new SERTs (Special Education Resource Teachers) in elementary and secondary schools, as well as Individual Education Plan (IEP) and SSNet drop-in sessions for all SERTs/teachers.
Additionally, during the 2023-2024 school year, professional learning sessions were differentiated to meet the needs of educators, and included some of the following topics:
Assistive Technology
- In-person and online sessions to support elementary and secondary Educational Assistants and teachers with the use of Mindomo, Google Read&Write, EquatIO, Clicker, OrbitNote and Boardmaker
- Learning on universal design for learning and the use of assistive technology
Autism (ASD)
- Opportunities for school staff to support the planning and implementation of educational programs and strategies for students with Autism (ASD)
Mental Health and Addiction Strategy
- Mandatory system-wide learning, Miss, Dismiss and Avoid: Psychological Barriers to Disrupting Racism, Racial Trauma and How to Counteract it, for elementary and secondary staff to build understanding of the psychological barriers that contribute to responses to racial trauma.
- Learning About Mental Health Presentations Series (L.A.M.P.S.) to support student Mental Health Literacy. Grade 1-12 student presentations included topics such as understanding and coping with anxiety as well as building healthy relationships. Additionally, evening L.A.M.P.S. presentations were made available for families.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) 2023-2024
- Eight two-day ASIST sessions were delivered, a total of 142 YRDSB staff participated in the training.
Speech-Language Pathology
- Provided training to 123 families in virtual workshops to support their children's articulation development at home.
- Collaborated and presented professional learning on literacy and inclusion, including the Kindergarten Literacy: Cultivating Rich Communication, Supporting All Students in Kindergarten and Secondary Community Class Literacy Instruction Inspiration.
- Provided professional development at four educator sessions and 13 parent sessions during the Building Bridges for Kindergarten summer programs.
Occupational/Physical Therapy (PTOT)
- Provided workshops in the areas of regulation, sensory processing and motor development that support early literacy and school participation and engagement.
- Supported a significant increase in PTOT referrals for individualized student needs and managed specialized equipment to support access, inclusion and participation for students.
Psychological Services
- Provided workshops on self-regulation, knowing your learner, literacy and math strategies (e.g., interactive math journals), supporting students with anxiety, ADHD, executive functioning and trauma. Topics also included Autism assessment, selective mutism, stress management and trauma-informed classroom strategies.
- Complex Needs Psychological Services (CNS) provided sessions on supporting students with developmental trauma and attachment, Autism and trauma, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and self-regulation.
Social Work
- Provided virtual Parent/Caregiver Consultations for the Tamil Community
- Provided sessions for Chinese heritage parents/guardians
- Facilitated Community Circles and Restorative Practices training for YRDSB school-based staff
- Supported with Youth Speak Out Conference 2023
- Offered workshops to schools to address anti-Black racism, bullying, and harassment
Psychoeducation therapeutic groups offered by Psychological Services and/or Social Work
- Affirm - a CBT psychoeducational group to support 2SLGBTQIA+ participants
- Strong - intervention to promote resistance and reduce psychological stress among newcomer students
- Trails to Wellness - early intervention support for students with symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Healthy Relationships Plus - targets the prevention of violence through the promotion of positive, healthy relationships
- Sky Lantern - an identity-affirming and culturally relevant therapeutic group space for students of Chinese Heritage
- Building Me - an identity-affirming and culturally relevant therapeutic group space for students of African Canadian Caribbean heritage
- Tamil Girls Group - an identity-affirming and culturally relevant therapeutic group space for students
Collaborative Partnerships
In partnership with Curriculum and Instructional Services (CIS), Inclusive School and Community Services (ISCS), Research and Assessment Services and our external community partners, Student Services collaborated to:
- Develop and formalize a new CRES (Collaborative Relationships with External Services) Partnership agreement with:
- Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA): offering mental health counseling for Black students and families
- Support sessions for new teachers of students with special education needs alongside consultants responsible for the New Teacher’s Induction Program (NTIP).
- Foster a strong working relationship to support the successful entry of children into Year 1 and Year 2 Kindergarten and co-hosted an Early Intervention Orientation Evening session with our Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) partner Early Intervention Services (EIS).
- Maintain membership within the York Community Autism Partnership, working collaboratively with agency partners and community members to align services for children and adults with Autism in York Region.
- Collaborate with community agencies across York Region on the York FASD Steering Committee.
- Partner between Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and community agencies to support preschool students with hearing loss (ages 2-4).
- Engage external agencies (including Provincial Demonstration Schools) to support Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services' continued access to American Sign Language and Deaf Culture with Deaf adult role models.
- Facilitate Building Accessible, Inclusive and Affirming Classrooms through Disability Justice professional learning collaborative with six elementary and three secondary schools.
- Partner with CIS Math Team to build capacity within Secondary Community Class teachers in early mathematics instruction.
Updated January 2025